Principal Process Engineer

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good.

Your impact

Our award-winning process team are committed to protecting our environment for future generations through innovative water and wastewater treatment solutions. Our work directly impacts the health of ecosystems and communities locally and globally, and we're looking for a passionate leader to drive our next generation of process engineering excellence.

As our Principal Process Engineer, you will leverage your technical expertise and leadership skills to develop sustainable solutions for major clients to solve significant water and wastewater challenges. This role offers the opportunity to make a tangible difference in meeting new and emerging environmental standards in water production and wastewater disposal while mentoring the next generation of engineers. We actively support involvement in professional organisations such as the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) and encourage leadership roles within the engineering community.

In this role you'll get to

• Lead process design and optimisation for complex water and wastewater treatment projects
• Manage and deliver both large, complex projects and diverse smaller initiatives for industrial, central government, and local government clients
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to multidisciplinary engineering teams
• Work closely with the NZ water leadership team to determine and navigate the direction of the team
• Work on projects across New Zealand and Australia
• Drive continuous improvement in our treatment methodologies and environmental outcomes
• Represent Jacobs technical expertise with clients and at industry forums

We value collaboration and believe that in-person interactions are crucial for both our culture and client delivery. We empower employees with our hybrid working policy, allowing them to split their work week between Jacobs offices/projects and remote locations enabling them to deliver their best work.

Here's what you'll need

• Qualified Process Engineer with professional recognition
• Possesses 15+ years of progressive experience in water and wastewater treatment engineering
• Brings significant project and program management experience with diverse client types
• Shows genuine passion for environmental protection and sustainability
• Excels at leading teams with diverse skills and experience

People are Jacobs' greatest asset, and we offer a competitive package to retain and attract the best talent. In addition to the benefits you'd expect, NZ employees also receive free health insurance and life insurance cover, family-friendly benefits such as enhanced parental leave pay and financial assistance with fertility healthcare and parental programmes, plus reimbursement towards relevant professional development and memberships. We also give back to our communities through our Collectively program which incorporates matched-funding, paid volunteering time and charitable donations. Work-life balance and flexibility is a key focus area for Jacobs. We're happy to discuss hybrid, part-time and flexible working hours, patterns and locations to suit you and our business.

Jacobs. A world where you can.

At Jacobs, we support your personal life and career journeys. We are committed to driving a culture of caring where you can be you. With safety and flexibility always top of mind, we've gone beyond traditional ways of working to help you uncover a working arrangement that delivers the flexibility, tools and space to maximise your potential.

In Aotearoa New Zealand, we're a founding member of The Diversity Agenda and are committed to making our industry more inclusive and diverse. We acknowledge the unique status of Māori as the indigenous people of Aotearoa and have a continued focus in building cultural understanding and competence in Te Ao Māori.

We aim to embed inclusion and diversity in everything we do. We know that if we're inclusive, we're more connected, and if diverse, we're more creative. We accept people for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, mental health, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and whether you're pregnant or on family leave. This is reflected in our eight global Jacobs employee networks centred on driving inclusion and diversity – ACE, Careers, Enlace, Harambee, OneWorld, Prism, Vetnet, and our Women's Network – find out more about our Jacobs Employee Networks here.

No matter what drives you, you'll discover a way to cultivate, nurture and achieve your goals – all at a single global company.

We're an equal-opportunity employer and encourage candidates of diverse backgrounds to apply. Māori and Pasifika peoples are strongly encouraged to apply. Jacobs aims to provide cultural safety at our interviews. Māori and Pasifika people are invited to nominate a Whanau member or cultural representative to participate and support your interview; please let your recruiter know in your application.

Accessibility

Please contact the team if you require support or reasonable adjustments regarding our recruitment process (for example, you need the application form in a different format).

Don't meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people from marginalised or underrepresented backgrounds are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every qualification. At Jacobs, we're dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't align with every requirement in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be the right candidate for this or other roles.

Please note: If you are being represented by a recruitment agency you will not be considered; to be considered you will need to apply directly to Jacobs.